Water-cooler.



W. HBPPINGER.

WATER COOLER.

APPLICATION FILED 312.17, 1911.

Patented Mar. 26, 1912.

Attorneys eoLumslA FLANOGRAPM 1:0,, WASHINGTON. [L c.

.UNITED s'ra'rns PATENT oriucE.

WILLIAM HEPFINGER, OF TIL-DEN, NEBRASKA.

WATER-COOLER.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ll ILLIAM Hnrrnvonn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tilden, in the county of Antelope and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and useful VVater-C0oler, of which the following is a specification.

One object of the present invention is to provide a cooler so constructed that a relat-ively small piece of ice may be made effective to cool any water which may be in the cooler.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in a cooler, a tank so constructed that a maximum space will be presented to the cooling agent, the liquid being coinpelled to travel a sinuous passage through the tank.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in a cooler, a tank so constructed that the water resulting from the melting of the ice, will be quickly drained away, the water resulting from the melting of the ice, and the water which is being cooled by the ice, being maintained separate and apart, during the cooling operation.

Vith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings,-Figure 1 shows the invention in perspective; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the cooler upon the line A-B of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a transverse. section on the line C-D of Fig. 2; and Fig. 1 is a perspective of a portion of the casing of the cooler, the view showing the ribs which are in the tank, a portion of the tank itself, however, being removed, in order that the location of the ribs may more clearly appear. Fig. 5 is an end view of the bottom member of the casing, with its front wall removed, in order that the positions of the ribs may clearly appear, the view being designed to supplement the showing of Fig. 4.

In carrying out the invention there is provided a casing 1, preferably rectangular in cross section, one of the edges of the casing being downwardly disposed, so that, broadly Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed *February 17, 1911.

Patented Mar. 26, 1912;

Serial No. 609,127.

speaking, the casing 1 is depressed along its longitudinal center. The casing 1 comprises a bottom 2 and a closure 3 equipped with a suitable handle 41, the casing 1 being, preferably, diagonally divided to form the bottom and the closure Located within the casing l and resting upon thebottom 2, is a tank 5, depressed along its longitudinal center, the tank 5 having at one end an extension (1, adapted to rest against one end of the casing l, the tank having at its other end, an extension 7, adapted to rest against the other end of the casing, the extension (3 being located at the discharge end of the tank, and the extension 7 being located at the inlet end thereof.

Located within the tank 5, are superposed ribs one of which ribs extends across the rear end of the tank, as shown at 8, this rib being thence extended longitudinally of the sides of the tank as shown at 9, the rib having an angular portion 10, upstanding in the extension 6 of the tank. Located below this rib above described, is another rib, extended along the sides of the tank as shown at 11, the rib having an angular projection 12, upstanding into the extension (3 of the tank, below the extension 10 of the first named rib. One of the side portions 11 terminates short of the rear end of the tank, as shown at 14;.

The extension 6 of the tank 5 is provided with an outlet cock 16, protruding through the end wall of the casing 1, and communicating with the extension 7 at the rear of the tank is an inlet, indicated conventionally at 15 in Fig. 4-. The tank 5 is supported upon a pair of trestlcs 17 andlS, the rear trestle 17 being higher than the front trestle 18, so that the tank 5 slopes downwardly from its inlet end toward its discharge end, as clearly seen in Fig. 2. Adjacent the dis; charge end of the tank, a drip pipe 19 protrudes through the tank, to accommodate the water resulting from the melting of the ice which rests upon the tank, as shown in Fig. 2. The trestles 17 and 18 may be supported upon a suitable bracket 20, carrying a tray 21, positioned below the discharge cock 16.

A pipe 22 communicates with the inlet 15 of the tank 5, a filter 23 being interposed in the pipe 22. In the pipe 22, above the filter 23, there is a valve 2 1, the pipe 22 communicating at its upper end with a tank 25. A branch pipe 26 may communicate with the pipe 22, and in the branch pipe 26 is interposed a cut-off valve 27.

\Vhen the device is connected with an urban water supply, the water, traversing the pipes 26 and 22, will enter the tank 5. When, however, no such water supply is available, the tank 5 may be filled from the tank 25, the latter being bailed full by hand, the valves 24 and 27 permitting the tank 5 to be supplied intermittently with water, so that no more water may be cooled at a time than is required for immediate consumption. The water, entering the tank 5 will follow a sinuous course between the ribs within the tank, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. L, the water ultimately passing out of the discharge cock 16.

Owing to the fact that the tank 5 at its discharge end, is depressed below its inlet end, the cooling agent and the water which is to be cooled, will gravitate toward the discharge end or" the tank, the cooling agent resting against the extension 6 of the tank. Owing to this construction, a relatively small piece of ice, constantly melting, and constantly decreasing in size, is held in a position to exercise a maximum effect in cooling the liquid, the ice resting not only against the bottom of the tank 5 but against the extension 6 thereof as well, the portions 10 and 12 of the ribs compelling a circulation of the liquid to be cooled, through the extension 6 of the tank. Moreover, by reason of the fact that the tank 5 is depressed along its longitudinal center, re sulting from the angular cross section of the tank, the water which is being cooled is confined along the longitudinal center of the tank, and this fact, together with a further fact that the tank slopes downwardly from its inlet end toward its discharge end, makes it possible to cool a very small volume of water, with a very small piece of ice.

The tank 5 constitutes a support for the cooling agent, the construction being such that the drip water resulting from a melting of the cooling agent, passes through the drip pipe 19, the drip water from the ice, and the water which is being cooled, being maintained separate and apart, so that there will be no contamination of the water supply, by the water resulting from the melting of the ice.

It will be noted that by manipulating the valves 27 or 24, depending upon the nature of the water supply, the operator may admit into the tank 5, only so much water as is required for immediate consumption, the longitudinal depression of the tank 5, and the slope thereof from the inlet end toward the discharge end, making it possible to cool the small quantity of water which has been admitted to the tank.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a device of the class described, a casing; a tank therein constituting at once a container for the liquid to be cooled, and a support for the cooling agent, the tank being depressed along its longitudinal center, and being inclined from its inlet end toward its discharge end to cause the liquid and the cooling agent to gravitate toward the discharge end; the tank having an upright extension at its outlet end, through which the liquid circulates, and against which the cooling agent rests.

2. In a device of the class described, a casing; a tank therein constituting at once a container for the liquid to be cooled and a support for he cooling agent; the tank being depressed along its longitudinal center and being inclined from its inlet end toward its discharge end to cause the liquid and the cooling agent to gravitate toward the discharge end; the tank having an up.- right extension at its discharge end, through which the liquid circulates and against which the cooling agent rests; there being ribs in the tank and in its extension, defining a sinuous passage through the tank.

3.111 a device of the class described, a casing; a tank therein, the tank and the casing being depressed along their longitudinal centers, the tank having an upright extension at its outlet end, through which the liquid circulates; there being ribs in the tank and in the extension, defining a sinuous passage through the tank, means for draining the liquid from the tank, adjacent the extension; and means for supplying liquid to the tank at a point remote from the extension.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto atfixed my signature in. the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM HEPFINGER. lVitnesses J OI-IN W. MEIDINGER, v ALBERT B. DUNCAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

